Poll: Growing Number of People Fear Iran

[sabra]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/07/AR2006020700983.html

Poll: Growing Number of People Fear Iran

WASHINGTON -- Americans' fears about Iran have grown sharply over the last few months as efforts by the United States and Europe to slow Tehran's nuclear program have been firmly rejected, a poll found.

More people in this country now rate Iran as the biggest threat to the U.S., 27 percent, than say that about any other country, including North Korea, China and Iraq, according to the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.


As recently as October, Iraq and China were seen as the biggest threats, closely followed by North Korea.

...

Two-thirds or more of those polled said they think that if Iran develops nuclear weapons, it is likely to attack Israel, Europe or the United States. Even more, 82 percent, say it's likely that a nuclear-armed Iran would provide nuclear weapons to terrorists.

[Union Thug]

1. And the propaganda machine is just warming up...n/t

[BlueEyedSon]

2. OMG, I hope Iran doesn't invade NJ!

:scared:

[Selatius]

3. Hermann Goering would envy our corporate propaganda machine

His basic formula:

"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."

-- Hermann Goering at the Nuremberg trials

In our case, replace "attacked" with "threatened."

[sabra]

14. feaky stuff!

[Triana]

45. Hoo yea.. remember the legacy of the bu$h crime family...

...they made their family fortunes funding the Nazis - laundering money through Union Ntl Bank to Hitler. The bu$h family and the Hitler regime go back a loooong way. They studied and adopted the regime's tactics very well.

[tatertop]

4. Looks like things are right on schedule

[Behind the Aegis]

5. Not me...

...I fear their leaders! Almost as much I fear ours.

[Hekate]

6. The propaganda machine is very effective, isn't it? eom

[KittyWampus]

58. Yes, and how handy those inflammatory cartoons showed up

published by a Right Wing newspaper.

[Mithras61]

7. Considering that this is a Pew poll...

I'd have more confidence in their numbers if I could see the question, but even allowing for that (and assuming it IS a push poll), the propaganda is being catapulted quite nicely...

[jpak]

8. Do they fear $100 a barrel oil more?????

or for the lives innocent I-ranians in harm's way?????

Dinnnt ask them questions did they....

[bullimiami]

9. if it were true, what a stupid and gullible people we would be, of course

its bullshit. people are not scared of iran. they are scared of bushco.

[celestia671]

10. What about countries that actually have nukes?

Like Pakistan, India, or North Korea?

Here we freakin' go again!:eyes: The biggest threat to this country is sitting in the Oval Office!

[oneighty]

23. We do not know

that N.Korea has nukes.

That is more bullshit.

180

[K-W]

11. The only thing we have to fear,

is weak non-compliant oil nations themselves.

[pinniped]

12. These stupid idiots have a symbiotic relationship with the *puke.

I can't decide which one. I'm leaning towards parasitism.

Commensalism-- one species benefits, the other is unaffected
Parasitism-- one species benefits, the other is harmed

[TechBear_Seattle]

13. The basis of the fear is GOP propaganda n/t

[alarcojon]

29. and this poll both reflects that propaganda and helps spread that fear.

How convenient.

[RedEarth]

15. Sounds like bush and the repubs will need to update this campaign song

Sing it to the tune of "If you're happy and you know it"

If you cannot find Osama, bomb Iraq. If the markets are a drama, bomb Iraq. If the terrorists are frisky, Pakistanis looking shifty, North Korea is too risky, Bomb Iraq

If we have no allies with us, bomb Iraq. If we think someone has dissed us, bomb Iraq. So to hell with the inspections, Let's look tough for the elections, CLOSE your mind and take directions, Bomb Iraq.

It's """pre-emptive non-aggression""", bomb Iraq. Let's prevent this mass destruction, bomb Iraq. They've got weapons we can't see, And that's good enough for me 'Cos it's all the proof I need Bomb Iraq.

If YOU NEVER WERE ELECTED, bomb Iraq. If your mood is quite dejected, bomb Iraq. If you think Saddam's gone mad, With the weapons that he had, (And he tried to kill your dad), Bomb Iraq.

If your corporate fraud is growin', bomb Iraq. If your ties to it are showin', bomb Iraq. If your politics are sleezy, And hiding that ain't easy, And your manhood's getting queasy, Bomb Iraq.

Fall in line and follow orders, bomb Iraq. For our might knows not our borders, bomb Iraq. Disagree? We'll call it treason, let's make war, not love this season, even if we have no reason, Bomb Iraq.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

16. America.... The most COWARDLY population to ever exist.

Thanks to Bushco and its "terror" machine.

[Ignacio Upton]

17. Uh oh, here we go again........

Wanna bet that there will be a vote on a Iran War Resolution by October?

[Selatius]

18. I wonder how the Democrats would vote on that?

I wonder how many of them sitting in Congress now are so stupid that they'd actually vote with the Repubs on such a hypothetical bill.

[arikara]

24. Lets pray that they decide to develop some cojones

and start standing up for the truth instead of spinelessly helping to catapult the propaganda along like they did with Iraq. They were a disgrace then and if they go along with this they will be an even bigger disgrace and don't deserve to be elected.

Any of them that go along with this farce deserve to be tossed out... puke or dem!

[confludemocrat]

51. Iran thinkin', "yes! we got them just where we want 'em"

for at last the fulfillment of "Death to America"!

talk of a war and more chauvinistic saber rattling for right wing cronies war profiteering

intelligence test:

Afghanistan in 1980 is to USSR
as
Iran in 2006 is to ___________

Fill in the blanks

hint: how did the Afganisitan thing turn out for Soviets and who is getting pumped up to have
that happen to them?

[kurth]

19. The ayatollahs are coming!!!

They're going to invade the USA and make all our men wear beards. SCARY!!!

[AtTheEndOfTheDay]

20. Suckers.

And we're all effed.

[LynnTheDem]

21. I WANT MY MOMMY coz I'm a fwightened Amewican!!!

:rofl:

Catapulting that propaganda...who woulda thunk so many Americans could be so fooled again. Holy fuck.

[lagavulin]

22. How do we even know such "polls" are valid?

Granted there is a certain vested interest in some types of polling to guage the public interest or awareness of issues. But when I read something like this from the WaPo I wonder if someone hasn't essentially just generated numbers to support the headline they want people to read....

I mean, we know the MSM isn't a trustworthy source for information...so why do we buy the pollsters?

[daleo]

25. After fear comes hate

And after hate comes war.

[VegasWolf]

26. The Amerikkan psyops program is working. The sheep are being

led again by their herders and told what to think. Fooling the Amerikkan public is getting almost too easy for politicians and religious leaders.

[olddad56]

27. How much longer.......

Ask yourself, ask your family, ask your neighbors, ask your friends,

"How much longer do we want to believe that we can blow people up and they will treat us better?"

[alcibiades_mystery]

28. LOL: They ramp up the fear for 3 months, then test their own results

And call it public opinion. The entire procedure is laughable.

[2Design]

30. gullible - fear sells - they are at it again - and people are

stupid enough to believe them- they created this monster

[alarcojon]

31. Fool me once, shame on you

Fool me every f'ing time, I am a brain dead imbecile.

We won't get fooled again! B-)

[High Plains]

32. Newflash: American public still extremely doltish, easily led

[IndianaGreen]

33. We are the Germans of the 21st century!

The good Germans believed Hitler when he told the Reichstag on September 1, 1939 that Germany was defending herself against Polish aggression.

[Goel]

39. 21st Century Germans

I fear you may be right.

Iran is trying to demonstrate her independence after 100 years of UK/US oil wars and coups and aggression.

The US Imperial Machine recognises a threat.

A little Iranian rhetoric, and the American people are led, like children into the nursery.

But from the conflict ahead there can be no winners.

It is past time to wake up, America.

Another century of war will benefit no one.

G.

[HockeyMom]

34. As somebody who LIVES near Ground Zero,

I would like to ask these people who live in FEAR of an attack. What the HELL are YOU afraid of????? No, I am not afraid of Iran's nukes, I am afraid of GEORGE W. BUSH and what HE and his POWER HUNGRY Administration is doing to THIS country.

I have said this many times. If in the name of FEAR, OUR government takes away all our civil liberties to "protect" us from "terrorists", then WHAT have we accomplished? THEY have then destroyed our way of life. But then, I now believe that is EXACTLY what Bush and Company DOES want to do. Destroy our way of life. The America that we once used to know and love.

[Frank Cannon]

35. America: "Home of the Brave". What a pathetic joke that is.

I think our country must now have the highest percentage of shivering-little-fraidy-cats-per-capita of any nation on Earth. It's just embarrassing. The bought-and-paid-for media plays the fear Wurlitzer 24/7 in this country, and just look at all the people falling for it.

Maybe I'm just foolhardy, but I wasn't afraid of terrorists prior to 9-11, and I'm not afraid of them now. Yet check out all the Freepers who toss and turn every night just KNOWING that the terraists are going to kill them ANY TIME NOW, and who think that only one moronic chimpanzee-human hybrid can save them from imminent peril. As I said, it's just embarrassing.

[pinniped]

37. Good one- America: "Home of the Brave"

I recall hearing some phrase like that in some Merkan song right before each MLB baseball game.

I'll see if they alter it when baseball season starts in April.

[agincourt]

36. It is assumed that these countries,

would immediately use these nuclear weapons on us if they got them. The main danger would be the insecurity of their codes. Stable governments do not use nuclear weapons and the greatest threats to America would be from another source. Of course we want to limit proliferation and the UN is working hard on this. An airstrike would be counter-productive but I'm afraid we will get an Iranian War Resolution. Our system is that broke.

[Union Thug]

47. Yeah, they would use their advanced ICBMs to deliver them..

or maybe unmanned aircraft, or their huge naval fleet of TERROR SHIPS to deliver the nukes. Americans are like frightened irrational 3 year olds.

[HuffleClaw]

38. well, i guess their daily fear mongering is working

its one of the few things they are good at, propagandizing. sad that so many fall for it so easily though.

[Roland99]

40. Baaaa! Baaaa! Baaaa!

[orleans]

41. bush cheney & rummy all rub their hands together and with evil

grins say: "hehehe...it's working..."

[Rex]

42. Poll: Do polls artificially create fear by making up polls?

To create fear and doubt?

[leesa]

43. I fear the US government.

[mitchum]

44. That's because they are stupid gape-mouthed motherfuckers

I don't hate America, but there are a lot of Americans that I do despise

[Triana]

46. the sheep would fear their refrigerators if the regime told them to...

.....all they need is to fire up the propaganda machinery and they can manufacture fear of anything at will.

[mitts]

48. its evident to me

It is complete holy war. With elections happening in which Hamas was elected, and Iran (A democracy) all instances of which the results of democracy STILL don't satisfy the incessant need to dominate the world, then the cloak of "spreading democracy" can no longer work. The cloak of it NOT being a war for oil was finally lifted in Bushes SOTU. So let's just be honest U.S. leaders....this war is about the extermination of Islam.

[confludemocrat]

49. Translation: Poll: mindless fear-mongering on Iran working as expected

Yeah, like they invade countries like the Phillipines, Cuba, Vietnam, Afganistan, Carribean islands, Panama, Iraq...

[Vidar]

50. Luxembourg is looking pretty tough too.

[stepnw1f]

52. Growing Amount of Iran Propaganda Too

[Megahurtz]

53. The Big Brainwash is working. n/t

[Bridget Burke]

54. So they're rushing down to the recruiter....

To protect their Homeland from the evil Iranians. The older ones are sending their kids. Surely?

(A lady at work is a big Bush fan--the WMD claim was a "white lie" so we could spread democracy! She recently complained that her college graduate son can't get a job. I bit my tongue & didn't mention military service as an option.)

[Rocknrule]

55. Be afraid! You alllll taste so much BETTER when you're afraid!!!

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

56. "Growing number of Republican Sycophants fear Iran"

I really wish they would be more precise when they write these poll questions... :evilgrin:

[0rganism]

57. Mission Accomplished, redux

Thanks, corporate media, for serving the bush party line to the American people, 24/7. Thanks for desecrating the legacy of Edward R. Murrow. Thanks in advance for the patriotic bumper graphics and stirring music that will accompany the rain of explosives on Tehran. Thanks for everything.